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J. M. COLEMAN. REFRIGEB AAAAAA R.

J. IVI. COLEMAN.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

APPLxcATloN FILED sEPT.ao.1916.

1,35, T72.. Patented June 3, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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BY Sgu SL RW bkk A TTORNE Y J. NI. COLEMAN.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

APPLICATION man sEPT.3o.1sxu.

l ,3053?2.i Y Patented June 3, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3. Fb'g4 l vj/ m H1915 J. IVI. COLEMAN.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.30. 1916.

LHZQ Patented June 3, 1919. I 5/3 EETSwSHEET 4 F497. y

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* bfi-. 5% M BY @AW-XW I4@ ATTORNEY Y J. M. COLEMAN.

HEFRIGERATOR CAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30. 19in.

,35,772. Patented June 3, 1919. F2919 5 SHEETS SHEET 5.

WI TNESSES.- James/IN ...Zi-M KW HQ@ ATTORNEY been employed.

ES PATENT FFC.

JMES M. COLEMAN, 0F WESTMOUNT, QUEBEC, CANADA', ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 KARL F. NYSTROM, OF ST. LAMBERTS, MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA..

REFRIGERATOR-CAB.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 3, 1g19 Application filed September 30, 1916. Serial No. 122,970.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES M. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westmount, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented a certain 'new and useful Improvement in Refrigerator-Cars, of which the followin is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specifica` tion.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in refrigerator cars.

Ofne object of the invention is to provide an improved type of refrigerator car having a collapsible ice box" so adapted as to rovide a maximum radiating surface when 1n extended position with the ice therein, and at the same time arranged to be collafpsed so as to occupy a minimum amount o space in the car when icing ofthe car is not desired.

Another bject of the invention is to provide a refrigerator car having a more ecient arrangement for keepin the interior temperature lowered than as hitherto rlhe invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the parts and devices andl in the novel combination of the parts and devices herein shown, described and claimed. i ln the drawing forming. a part of thls sipecication, Figure 1 is a vertical, transverse sectional view of a refrigerator car near one end thereof and showin the improvements in connection therewith. Fig. 2 .is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2---2` of Fig. l showing the ice box arranged to receive the ice. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating the position of the parts when the ice box is in collapsed condition. Fig. 4 isa horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5,] is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is another detailed sectional view, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 7. Fi 7 is an enlarged, vertical, longitudina sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, but showin more in detail the 'arrangement of the ventilator and the hatches, parts being broken away in order to prevent crowding 0f the drawing. Fig, 8 is a view snmlar to Fig. 4, at one end of the ice box, but .showmg the position of the arts when the ice box is in collapsed con ition. Fig. 9 1s a detail, side elevation of a portion of thecar roof and showing more particularly lone of the hatches and the operatin mechanism for the ventilators. And ig. 10 1s an enlarged, horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9. y

In said drawing, 10-10 denote the insulated side walls of the car, 11 the insutroduced into the latter from either side of the car. In the end wall 11 of the car, near the upper portion thereof, is provided an air inlet 17, which communicates with a downwardly extending vertical air duct 18 (see Figs. 2 and 7 said air duct 18 communicating in turn with an air space 19, which extends across the car and is formed betweenV the inner face of the end wall of vthe car and the rear or back wall of the ice box proper,nhereinafter more particu larly described.

To regulate the amount of air permitted to pass into .the car, I have providedthe following novel arrangement. To `-prevent the admission of dirt, dust or other foreign matter, I provide a screen over the entrance, as clearly indicated in Fig. 7. On the outer side of the screen is provided a hinged sheet metal shutter 20, the same being mounted on a transversely extending rod or shaft 136 havin its ends mounted in suitable bearings 13 137, one end of said rod or shaft 136 being extended outside of the hatch for the purpose hereinafter described. On the inner side of the screen 25 and closely adjacent thereto, is

a second shutter 21 which is in the form Y suitable short shafts 141 at the .ends thereof, the latter being mounted in similar bearings 137--137, one 'of said shafts being extended outside of the hatch, for the purpose hereinafter described. In order to form a tight closure at the entrance to the air passage when the shutters are closed, I provide a suitable spring pressed packing 24 that coperates with the shutter or valve 21. As clearly shown lin Fig. 7, when the shutter 21 is in closed position a tight joint is made between the lower face thereof and said yieldable insulating packing.

Referring -now more particularly to Figs. 9 and 10, it will be seen that the extended end of the shaft or rod 136 and the adjacent short shaft 141 are provided with squared ends 146 and mounted on said squared ends are levers 147 and 148. the same being pivotally connected as by links 149. The lever 148 has preferably formed integrally therewith an operating handleI 150 which slides within a suitable keeper,

151, the latter being provided with a se' ries of pin-receiving perforations 152 by which the handle 150 may be locked in dierent adjusted positions.

From the preceding description,v considered in connection with the drawing, it will be seen that by manipulating the handle 150, the two shutters 20 and 21 are simultaneously operated and always in opposite directions. By this means the amount of air admitted can be regulated as desired or entirely shut ofi", and a substantially complete insulation obtained.

The lice box proper is preferably of rectangular form when in open or extended condition, as clearly appears from Fig. 4. As shown, the samecomprises a rear wall 26 of sheet metal corrugated vertically, said sheet metal wall 26 being braced and held in proper position relatively to the end wall of the car by vertical posts 27, 28, 29 and 30. Said posts are supported on the floor of the car, and extends almost to the top thereof, and are of such width as to snugly lit within the corrugations of the sheet metal wall 26. Each of the side walls 31, 31, of the ice box also consists of a sheet of metal corrugated vertically, said sheet metal walls being secured to a plurality of vertically extending studs 32, 32, which also fit within the corrugations of the sheet metal. The studs 32 and sheet metal wall, at each side of the ice box, are pivoted as a unit about a vertical axis, as indicated at 33. Each side wall, thus formed, is adapted to be swung to a position parallel with the end wall of'the car and as clearly indicated in Fig. 8. The bottom of the ice box, which is elevated above the Hoor of the car, consists of four sections A, A, A, A, each section A comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending, spaced, parallel slats 34, suitably united at their ends by blocks 35 and a through bolt 36. Each of said sections A is pivoted along the edge adjacent the wall 26 of the ice box, as indicated at 37. The inner ends of the sections A are supported, when in horizontal positionby suitable brackets 38 mounted on blocks 39 (see F igs. 2 and 3).

The sections A are adapted to be swung upwardly to a vertical position against the wall 36, this position being clearly shown in Fig. 8, the side walls being swung inwardly after thesections have been swung upwardly. The sections A are supported at their outer free ends, when in horizontal position, on a transversely extending joist 40, which forms part of a framework for the front or inner wall 41 of the ice box.

Said framework includes said joist 40, vertical end posts 42, 42, intermediate bracing posts 43, 43 which it in the vertical corrugations of the sheet metal wall 41, and a horizontally extending bottom member 44, all of said parts being suitably bolted or otherwise secured together. The framework and the inner wall 41 itself are retained in the position shown in Fig. 4 by any suitable means, such as the horizontalV slidable bolts 45, slidably mounted in Vbrackets 46, said bolts 45 being adapted to be pushed into suitable sockets 47 47, in the side walls of the car. After the bottom sections A have been swung to vertical position, and the side walls swung inwardly parallel with the end wall of the car, the inner or front wall 41 of the ice box may then be moved toward the end of the car to the position indicated in Fig. 8. Todo this, the bolts 45 are withdrawn from their corresponding sockets, and said wall 41 pushed rearwardly. As clearly appears from Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the end vertical posts 42, 42 are provided withl up-v wardly extending brackets 48, 48, which carry rollers 49, 49, said rollers ridin on tracks 50, secured to the side walls o the car. Each track 50, at the end farthest removed from the end wall of the car, is provided with a' depression 51 into which the rollers 49 drop when the inner wall 41 is farthest away from the end wall'of the car.

As the front wall 41 is started toward the shown in Figs. 3 and 8, the bolts 45 are then pushed outwardly into other suitable sockets 53 in the side walls of the-car. In this manner, the wall 41 is not only held in position, but also the side walls and sections A of the ice box bottom. As will be is of comparatively large capacity, but when the ice box directly, and the air is thereby thoroughly chilled before it passes under the ice box and to the main portion of the car. The ice box, When opened up or extended,

collapsed occupies a minimum amount of space, thereby increasing the capacity of the .Car when the same is not used for refrigerating purposes. The' walls being. of-sheet metal may be cheaply and easily manufactured, with the corrugations therein; the

lcorrugations extending vertically provide great strength in said Walls against lateral and longitudinal stresses; and the corrugations coperate in reducing the volume of space required for the frame work of the ice box, inasmuch as the wooden posts or joists may be fitted Within the corrugations, as hereinbefore described.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, the same is merely illustrative, and all changes and modifications are contemplated as come within the scope of the claim appended hereto.

I claim:

In a refrigerator car, a collapsible icc box said ice box having a back Wall formed of corrugated sheet metal and spaced from the inner face of the end Wall of the car to thereby provide a vertical air passage, said box having also side and front Walls formed of corrugated sheet metal, the side walls being spaced from the inner faces of the side walls of the car to also provide vertical air passages, studding located at spaced intervals on the outer sides of said side Walls and attached thereto, said side Walls of the box being movable to a position paralleling the end wall of the car when the ice box is collapsed, said front Wall of the `box being also shiftable back and forth and relatively to said rear wall of the box, and

means for holding said front Wall in either its extended or retracted position.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day of Sept., 1916.

JAMES M. COLEMAN. 

